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The Greek government changed the law on medical cannabis as recently as February of this year. Now it has issued its first cultivation license.

Who Is The First Beneficiary?

The lucky (first but far from last) firm to receive a cultivation license? Intriguingly, a South American-Canadian cultivation company called ICC Cannabis Corp.

The most recent agreement received from the Greek government supersedes and augments its previous hemp cultivation license in the country. The license, however is not final yet but rather a conditional pre-approval for medical cannabis cultivation.Things in Greece are proceeding fast with no internal or external opposition.

The company already has secured a 16 acre grow facility in Northern Greece. ICC also has a distribution network of over 35,000 pharmacies spread across 16 countries which it says will “complement” its current Greek victory.

ICC will pay USD $200,000 in connection with the license issuance, pay a finder’s fee and issue 12 million shares.

Company executives are quick to point out that the success is a result of staff cultivating close relationships with local politicians.

The ICC of course is not the only company now engaged in solidifying their business opportunities in Greece. Hexo, a Canadian LP with about a million feet of grow space at home by end of 2018, in partnership with local Greek QNBS, is also rapidly moving to establish a 350,000 square foot growing facility in country as well. With a similar eye, it should be added on the European medical market.

European Legal Cultivation Is Exploding

Medical cultivation, in other words, is getting underway regionally, with authority. And the bulk of such crops not consumed locally, are already being primed for export to more expensive labour markets across the continent with increasing demand for high quality, low cost, medical grade.

Not only is this procedural development fast and relatively efficient, it sets up a serious competitor within the EU to provide cheap flower, oil and other processed cannabis products to a continent that is now starting to place bulk orders as individual countries struggle with the issue of how much local cultivation to allow and what patient conditions should be covered.

Even more interesting, at least so far, are a lack of punitive punishments being meted out to the country from the EU for considering this economic route to self-sufficiency again. That is not true for Albania, in direct contrast, which is being penalized with its membership to the Union on the line, for the level of black market cannabis grown in the country.

That said, it might also be the progress of Greek cultivation that has caused such a furore – led by France in Brussels within the EU. A country far behind regional leaders on reform it is worth noting. Even on medical.

A Quick History Of Cannabis Reform In Greece

Greek politicians decided fairly early as the cannabis ball got rolling in Europe that the industry was the perfect cash injection to an economy still emerging from troubled times and massive financial defaults. In fact, Greek officials are estimating that legalizing the medical industry here will inject approximately USD$2 billion into the country’s economy.

It could be, of course, much higher. Especially when exports are added to medical tourist consumption.

The amazing thing so far, for all the other issues in just about every other legalizing country within the EU of late? Things in Greece are proceeding fast with no internal or external opposition.

The company began trading on the TSX Venture exchange in November 2016. In late September, the company announced that it was also securing a 55-acre grow facility in Denmark, with other Canadian cannabis heavyweights like Canopy, Aurora and Green Dutchman Holdings.

Plant Breeders’ Rights: Protection For New Plant Varieties

Unlike the Patent Act, Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights Act does provide intellectual property protection for whole plants. Plant breeder’s rights are available for new cannabis plants, whether they are the product of genetic engineering or more traditional cross breeding.

The applicant must also propose a name (referred to as a “denomination”) for the new variety that is acceptable to the Commissioner.The Plant Breeders’ Rights Act focuses on the material used to propagate a new variety of plant, such as its seeds. The owner of a plant breeder’s right can stop others from selling, producing or reproducing the propagating material, conditioning the propagating material for use, exporting or importing the propagating material, repeatedly using the protected variety to commercially produce another variety, and stocking the propagating material for the purpose of doing any of the above acts. The owner can also assert these same rights to stop another’s activities as they relate to another plant variety that is essentially derived from the protected variety. The owner can also recover for the damages it suffers as a result of any infringement. For cannabis plants, the term of a plant breeder’s rights endures for 20 years from the date of its issuance.

To register a plant-breeder’s right, a breeder provides an application to the Commissioner of Plant Breeders’ Rights Office, which is part of Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

To be registrable, the plant variety must be new, meaning that the propagating material has not been sold in Canada more than 1 year prior to the application (or elsewhere more than 4 years prior to the application); it must be distinguishable from all varieties that are known to exist at date of filing of the application; it must be sufficiently homogeneous, meaning that its relevant characteristics are predictable and commercially acceptable; and it must be stable in its essential characteristics over successive generations. Registration under the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act provides plant breeders’ rights in Canada only. However, Canada is a signatory to a treaty (UPOV) that allows an application originally filed in Canada to provide priority for registration in other member countries, and vice versa.The Commissioner also has the power to require the performance of tests on a sample of the propagating material, such as to verify its stated characteristics.

The applicant must also propose a name (referred to as a “denomination”) for the new variety that is acceptable to the Commissioner. The Plant Breeder’s Rights Act puts limits on what may be chosen as the denomination. Among other things, the denomination cannot refer to characteristics the variety does not have, suggest that it is derived from another variety or bred by a particular breeder when this is not case, or comprise laudatory descriptives that could cause confusion. The denomination cannot be used or registered as a trademark and, once accepted by the Commissioner, must be used by all traders when selling the propagating material, even after the expiry of the plant breeder’s right. Indeed, the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act makes it an offence to misuse or misapply the name. The same denomination will be used for the same variety in all UPOV countries.

The application process can involve some back-and-forth with the Commissioner, as well as the opportunity for others to oppose the registration. The Commissioner also has the power to require the performance of tests on a sample of the propagating material, such as to verify its stated characteristics.

A unique feature of a plant breeder’s right is that it can be enforced even before the Commissioner finishes his or her review against infringers who are given notice of the applicant’s application.

As of this writing, there are three registered denominations of cannabis plants under the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act. Chris Griffin has registered “Big C” – cannabis sativa subsp. indica; and MedReleaf Corp. has registered MR2017001 and MR2017002, both being varieties of cannabis sativa. It is expected that further registrations will follow.

There are some important limitations to the plant breeder’s rights. Farmers who harvest the plant variety on their “holdings” are given a privilege: they can store, produce and reproduce (but cannot sell) the variety on such holdings. The Commissioner also has the power to issue compulsory licenses when a protected variety is not available to the public at reasonable rates. Further, the plant breeder’s right is not infringed when the protected variety is used for non-commercial or experimental purpose.

In Part 4 of the series, Naiberg will discuss trademarks and how cannabis businesses should go about protecting their brand identity in Canada. Stay tuned for more!

Cannabis Cultivation Virtual Conference Part 6

Cannabis Micropropagation, Cost Analysis and Viruses

By Dr. Hope Jones, Chief Scientific Officer of C4 laboratories

This presentation will educate the global cannabis industry (including hemp) on tissue culture micropropagation by providing a summary that will show some of the essential concepts behind tissue culture. Virus and pathogen elimination and the importance of a good IPM regime.

As well as the economics of the micropropagation industry, design and implementation plans from the small growers to the large in need of understanding the true potential of tissue culture micropropagation, and how to implement and how to avoid costly mistakes.

By Ivor Noble, Founder and CEO of CannaAirCare

Cannabis Cultivation Virtual Conference Part 4

Exploration and Optimization of Drying and Curing

By Dr. Allison Justice, Vice President of Cultivation at Outco

This presentation discusses:

Prized French wines are aged for years in oak barrels, as are famous whiskies. Tobacco is air-, fire-, flue- or sun-cured. Cannabis, however, is quickly dried and stored in a plastic bucket. Although many cannabis growers have proprietary ways of making flower flavorful and aromatic, little to no research is available for consistency.

Anecdotal examples show that chemical makeup is not only dictated by the strain/cultivar, but also influenced by grow methods, drying and curing. The lack of data prompted us to research what is happening during these processes. In this session, we will present our research at OutCo of how to affect and control the chemical makeup of flower; new protocols to monitor the dry and cure of cannabis flowers so we are able to modulate the terpene and cannabinoid profiles in our strain offering; and our latest findings in this exciting field of post-harvest cannabis research.

As the cannabis industry in the United States and throughout the world develops, the market is getting more competitive. Markets in a number of states are experiencing disruptions that will have lasting effects for cultivators, including oversupply and supply chain bottlenecks. Now more than ever, growers need to look for ways to differentiate their product or gain a bigger market share. Looking at yield efficiency, quality improvements and analyzing the cost of inputs versus value of the crop can help growers make the right choices in technology for lighting, irrigation and pest control among other technologies.

Adam Jacques, co-founder of Growers’ Guild Gardens and Sproutly

A series of free webinars in two weeks can help growers learn about some of the more advanced techniques in improving yield and quality. The Cannabis Cultivation Virtual Conference on May 23rd will explore a variety of tips and tricks for taking their cultivation operation to the next level. This event is free to attendees, made possible by sponsors VividGro and CannaGrow Expo.

Dr. Allison Justice, vice president of cultivation at Outco

Attendees will hear from experts in cannabis cultivation on a range of topics, including breeding, drying, curing, environmental monitoring and micropropagation. Adam Jacques, co-founder of Growers’ Guild Gardens and Sproutly, will discuss some of his experience with breeding high-CBD strains in Oregon. His talk will delve into some of the proper breeding procedures, along with how to hunt for particular phenotypes and developing specific cannabinoids and terpenes.

Dr. Allison Justice, vice president of cultivation at Outco, is going to present some of her findings in drying and curing at the company. She plans on sharing her research on how the post-harvest stages can affect and control the chemical makeup of flower. She’ll also discuss some new protocols to monitor the dry and cure of cannabis flowers so we are able to modulate the terpene and cannabinoid profiles.

We’ve covered the CannaGrow Expo previously, but this time around we catch up with Joseph De Palma, founder of CannaGrow, to talk about the genesis of his conference and what makes the event so special. This year’s CannaGrow Expo heads to Palm Springs, California, a new location for the event, on May 19thand 20th.

We’ve watched De Palma’s conference grow over the years, moving around the country and becoming the tight-knit community we know it as today. The meat and potatoes of the show are definitely the educational sessions, panel discussions, roundtables and the expo hall. But covering it year after year we’ve noticed a real sense of community develop, one where genuine idea sharing, collaboration and inclusivity are preached. There are no dumb questions at the CannaGrow Expo.

Tom Lauerman speaks to a room full of attendees at CannaGrow San Diego

According to Joseph De Palma, CannaGrow started in 2014, when the original event was held in Denver. “From the beginning, we wanted to create an event specifically for growers, where the focus was always on education and ‘becoming a better grower’,” says De Palma. “We had experienced the existing events in the marketplace, and almost all fit into two categories at the time, festival, or generic tradeshow. Those were fine for their purpose, but they didn’t foster an environment of education, and that’s what we believed was most important to the emerging cannabis industry.” Back in 2014, their show only had 10 sessions and 30 exhibitors. “Passionate growers from around the country had 2 days of grow-focused sharing and learning, and you could see the energy and excitement,” De Palma says. “Discussions would dive deep, people made new friends, and it really elevated the conversation around cultivation.”

Attendees gather at a lighting exhibit at CannaGrow San Diego

Since the show’s debut, it’s grown substantially. The 7th CannaGrow Expo is fast approaching, and this upcoming conference has four separate tracks and roughly 100 exhibitors. But it still keeps its sense of community, one where you don’t feel crowded, where everyone has time to chat and network, without the overwhelming feeling that can come with larger trade shows. “That inclusivity and open dialog is built in,” says De Palma. “If you go to an event that’s tradeshow dominant, most people are there to walk, shop, and leave. At CannaGrow, growers and extractors come together with a plan for the weekend, remaining in a constant state of engagement with others at the show.”

This year’s show has some exciting additions to look out for. The agenda covers a wide range of topics, including everything from an introduction to growing with living soil to a discussion of cyber security. The Extraction Summit, new to this year’s event and held on Day 2, is their response to the massive rise in popularity and demand of extracts.

Eric Schlissel, president and chief executive officer of GeekTek

Eric Schlissel, cybersecurity specialist, president and chief executive officer of GeekTek, is giving a talk focused on IT infrastructure. “My presentation will center around the actions cannabis businesses need to take right now to repel cybercrime and potential federal seizure,” says Schlissel. “As cannabis operators build their businesses and develop their security strategies, they often focus exclusively on the physical portion of their business – the merchandise and the cash in particular – and overlook the importance of designing and fortifying a secure IT infrastructure. I will discuss the importance of a holistic security strategy that embraces both and how you can both create one and prepare it for expansion into other states or even globally from the very start.” Schlissel’s discussion is one example of just how all-encompassing CannaGrow intends to be.

De Palma and his team leave few stones unturned as the show truly delivers vital information for cannabis cultivators in every area. Some things we are looking forward to? Seeing old friends and learning everything under the sun about cannabis science, growing and extraction. “People get to know each other, and with everyone sharing a core passion for cultivation and extraction, lifelong friendships are made,” says De Palma.

The cannabis industry of the United States is unlike other horticulture markets in the country. It’s younger, less traditional and with roots in a black market, it’s no surprise that its forerunners aren’t afraid to experiment with new approaches and technology.

The rapid adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) technology is one way in particular that this new generation of producers is stepping up, and they’re beginning to reap the rewards. But to better demonstrate how significant the implementation of IoT tech can be, we’ll peek over the fence at other craft-oriented food industries—namely wine and chocolate—to discover how effective they can be long-term for serious players in the cannabis industry.

The results, as you can probably guess, are astounding.

Farm Productivity and Precision is on the Rise

IoT tech isn’t just a cool new thing for experimental growers – it’s as necessary as air in the 21st century. New and veteran farms alike are discovering ways to streamline production and enhance the quality of their crops. One of the most common implementations of IoT tech in agriculture is the installation of smart measurement tools. Remote sensors can monitor soil acidity, humidity, salt concentrations, temperature and a variety of other metrics, automating the collection of data and providing a clear picture of plant health. For many farms, like E. & J. Gallo Winery, this is a game-changer.By installing hundreds of sensors per block and upgrading to a more precise irrigation system, Gallo was able to connect moisture measurements to a central system

Before placing sensors in over 250 acres of their vineyard, Gallo could only make irrigation adjustments at the large block level. Even with careful monitoring of moisture levels, the grape yield was inconsistent in size and flavor. By installing hundreds of sensors per block and upgrading to a more precise irrigation system, Gallo was able to connect moisture measurements to a central system. The system collects the data, considers the weather forecast, and automatically irrigates small areas of the vineyard as needed to ensure all plants are optimally watered. This resulted in a more uniform crop, less water waste and more desirable grapes.

Cannabis farms are starting to pick up on this simple approach as well. Organigram, one of Canada’s leading Cannabis producers, is well aware of the benefits of this kind of automation and data collection. “All our grow rooms are helping us learn all the time,” says Matt Rogers, head of production at Organigram. “With 20 grow rooms going, we can gather as much information about these plants as you would get in a century of summers.”

Automation and precision have enabled by Gallo and Organigram to improve yield and increase precision, which has helped them achieve their well-respected status in the wine and cannabis industries.

The Supply Chain is Becoming More Transparent

As much as we would like the industry to be free of scams and crooks, there’s more than a few producers stretching the truth when it comes to labeling product. MyDx, a cannabis chemical analyzer, recently revealed that the label on the package often does not totally coincide with the product within.Protecting your brand’s reputation is a necessity and IoT tech is helping some pioneering industries do that.

For example, the most frequently tested cannabis strain, “Blue Dream”, averages a 64% difference in chemical makeup from sample to sample. Similarly, “Gorilla Glue” and “Green Crack” show as much as 83% variation from sample to sample—largely because there’s no regulation of these names.

While variation is inevitable from grower to grower, plant to plant, and even between different parts of the same plant, misleading labels and the addition of ‘fillers’ is a growing issue for edible cannabis producers, and the threat it poses to your brand isn’t minor. Protecting your brand’s reputation is a necessity and IoT tech is helping some pioneering industries do that.

Wine in China is a powerful example of how improved traceability can reduce large-scale mislabeling. Brand-name winemakers in the country face a massive problem: 70% of imported wines are counterfeits. To combat this, winemakers are attaching near-field communication (NFC) labels to imported and domestic bottles. It’s a dramatic solution, but one that’s protecting the brand of winemakers dedicated to quality and transparency.

As the legalization of cannabis spreads and coveted strains emerge, so will the availability of counterfeits—or, at the very least, less-than-truthful labeling. This has proven to be true in almost every specialty market, and adopting improved traceability tech will defend your brand and reputation from the consequences of selling a product that’s discovered to be more ‘filler’ than cannabis.

Compliance is Easily Achieved

The conversation of cannabis regulation generally revolves around age restrictions and driving while impaired, but government compliance is far more complicated – especially for facilities that create cannabis-infused food products. And here’s the frustrating part for those who must (and should) maintain a food safety plan: every time a regulation is adjusted (or every time a new variation is added in another state), facilities must be able to document changes in procedures, recipes and hazard controls. It gets complicated quickly, especially if all the documentation is kept manually.

There’s a lot to be gained by connecting your systems and products to the Internet of ThingsA central, connected system is the best way for food manufacturers to streamline and automate a variety of documentation and food safety tasks, which can mean thousands of dollars saved over months or years. Using software like Icicle, facilities can create a comprehensive data environment that’s dynamic and accessible from anywhere. Incoming measurements from connected equipment and employee records are collected and an admin dashboard allows you to see what food safety systems are thriving and which need revisiting. The records – transformed into a compliant food safety plan – can then be pulled up during audits and inspections on the spot, saving the months that companies usually spend preparing documentation.

According to Mitchell Pugh of Chewter’s Chocolates, their system “gives me a great peace of mind in the sense to know we have all our information prepared and anything that an inspector is going to ask for – whether they’re looking for one product, a general system, a certain hazard, or a bill of ingredients or materials or an allergen – is easy for us to search for it, pull it up, and find exactly what they’re looking for.”

Considering that most food manufacturers still record measurements and create food safety plans manually, this is an area where progressive companies can quickly outpace their non-automated rivals.

Whether you’re a grower, dispensary, food producer, or some other kind of cannabis professional, there’s a lot to be gained by connecting your systems and products to the Internet of Things. Which direction will you take?

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